Rachel Lindsay 'Shocked' By Chris Harrison's Exit From 'Bachelor' Franchise

Rachel Lindsay has broken her silence on Chris Harrison's departure from the "Bachelor" franchise.

Lindsay, who was the star of "The Bachelorette" Season 13, admitted that she didn't see Harrison's exit coming.

"I gotta say, I am [shocked]. I wasn't expecting for it to happen, not after the announcement," the 36-year-old star was quoted by Entertainment Tonight as saying on Tuesday's episode of "Extra."

When asked about what may have led to his departure, Lindsay said, "We can only speculate."

"I think several past contestants coming forward and saying they didn't want him to be part of Paradise. I think Katie Thurston, her very last tweet before she went to film her season was that Chris needed to step away," she explained. "I think that, coupled with the interview that happened on this very stage, maybe led to him not coming back."

"It's been 19 years and if you do watch the show we saw less and less of Chris. Nineteen years is a big accomplishment. Maybe that's the case. We don't know. Maybe they were ready to move on," Lindsay added. "Maybe Chris wanted to move on after all this."

Earlier this year, Harrison came under fire for his comments during his February interview with Lindsay on "Extra," where he appeared to defend "Bachelor" Season 25 winner Rachael Kirkconnell. The latter made headlines after photos surfaced of her attending an antebellum plantation-themed fraternity formal in 2018.

At the time, Harrison insisted that he was "not defending Rachael" but claimed, "50 million people did that in 2018. That was a type of party that a lot of people went to," CNN reported.

"We all need to have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion," Harrison told Lindsay, according to Us Weekly. "Who is Rachel Lindsay and who is Chris Harrison and who is whatever woke police person out there, who are you [to tell her to speak out]? I’ve heard this a lot of, ‘I think she should,’ ‘I think he should.’ Who the hell are you? Who are you that you demand that?"

After facing intense backlash for his comments during the interview, Harrison apologized twice through social media and said he will temporarily step aside as host of the "Bachelor" franchise.

"To my Bachelor Nation family — I will always own my mistake when I make one, so I am here to extend a sincere apology. I have this incredible platform to speak about love, and yesterday I took a stance on topic about which I should have been better informed," Harrison wrote on Instagram a day after the interview aired.

"While I do not speak for Rachael Kirkonnell my intentions were simply to ask for grace in offering her an opportunity to speak on her own behalf," he continued. "What I now realized I have done is caused by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism, and for that, I am so deeply sorry. I also apologize to my friend Rachel Lindsay for not listening to her better on a topic she has a first-hand understanding of, and humbly thank the members of Bachelor Nation who have reached out to me to hold me accountable. I promise to do better."

In March, Harrison said on "Good Morning America" that he planned "to be back and I want to be back" on "The Bachelor." However, Entertainment Tonight reported, citing an unnamed source, that he negotiated a mid-eight figure deal to exit the franchise.

On Tuesday, Harrison took to Instagram to confirm his official exit from "The Bachelor" and its various spinoffs, which he has hosted since 2002. "I’ve had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now I’m excited to start a new chapter," he wrote.